The same week they eclipsed the field and took first place overall in field goal percentage defense in Division III, the St. Lawrence University men's basketball team put on another defensive clinic against formidable competition Friday evening at Burkman Gymnasium.

They held Hobart, who entered the game 5-3 and in second in the league, to just 52 points, securing their fourth straight Liberty League victory with a 79-52 final score. The win vaults the Saints into first overall in the conference standings, with a 6-2 record in conference play and 10-4 overall.

"We did a nice job defensively against the No. 2 team in the East Region tonight," said head coach Chris Downs after the game. "We were very disciplined and hard-working at our end of the floor – they got nothing easy."

Hobart came on strong to begin the game, edging out to an early lead over St. Lawrence, but the Saints showed resiliency in responding and outscored the Statesmen 22-2 over an eight-minute period in the middle portion of the first half. That established the Saints' lead as 24-9, and they would build on it until halftime where they led 43-21.

The second half saw more balanced scoring, but the Saints still outscored their opponents 36-31 en route to a 79-52 victory, remaining the only team in the Liberty League with fewer than three conference losses.


While the game was a defensive statement for St. Lawrence, their offense showcased an ability to score in balanced ways. They received over 10 points from four different players on the roster. Adam Dudzinski led the way with 17 points, while Andrew Cowan posted 16, Trey Syroka checked in with 13 and Aidan Macaulay had 12.

The Saints will look for the weekend sweep when they re-take their home court and host RIT. Tip off is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday.